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Supps to counter negative hormonal side-effects of contraceptive pill (Yasmin)?

hormonal pill contraceptive stack mood libido hair loss regimen supplements female

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#1 MsMetamorphose

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Posted 13 September 2012 - 11:05 PM


I seem to be suffering a handful of negative side effects since starting back on the birth control pill 9 months ago. I have no other viable methods of contraception, (my body rejects coils, par example) and, since sterilization or abstainance are out of the question, i'm hoping for any advice regards supplements that may negate some of the side effects im experiencing whilst using the birth control pill.

I was prescribed Microgynon 30 by my GP, and stayed on this until 10 days ago, after i finally realised that the nasty side effects i was experiencing could be due to this particular pill being highly androgenic - (in fact, Microgynon 30 is scored very close to the top on the androgen index list provided by the american hairloss association).

My side effects were/are:

Excessive hairloss/thinning - I was shedding handfuls of hair each time i brushed/washed my hair. I had thick hair, and despite this huge shed the volume of my hair appeared to still be healthy, so i thought no more of it (i thought perhaps the hair was being replaced with new hair!), until a couple of months ago i realised that my hair had become noticeably thinner overall. It had obviously been thinning steadily over all this time, so it wasnt as noticeable as a day-by-day gradual process, but after looking over some photos from before i started back on the BCP i realised id lost almost 50 percent of my hair volume! Now i understood why my hair had become progressively harder to style and never looked as good as it used to! It was half the thickness of last year! The hairloss progressed rapidly from that point (i guess the less hair you have, the more noticeable any loss is), and i found my front hairline had thinned so much it had actually receded almost 1cm! And the front section, in particular, is so fine you can see my scalp if you look closely, which you could never do prior to the birth control pill/shed. Also the corners of the front hairline (temple area) has thinned excessively and receded back. I was/am horrified to realise i was displaying very similar symptoms to Male Pattern Baldness!. =(

Loss of libido - I have a fairly high sex-drive naturally, so its distressing that i almost never feel any desire (or desirability) anymore.

Mood swings - Ive felt very depressed and generally emotionally unbalanced since starting back on the pill.

Difficulty losing weight - I have a healthier diet than ive ever had in my life, and im much more active, yet i struggle to lose weight and my body seems to want to store fat more easily than before. I need to lose another 7lb at least to get to my fighting weight so this is troublesome also.

Breakthrough bleeding - Despite all these synthetic hormones, supposedly regulating my cycle effectively, i suffer with breakthrough bleeds, sometimes weekly. This i could handle if it wasnt for the more upsetting symptoms above, but i figure this does show my body isnt balanced hormonally.

Greasy skin/blemishes

Loss of feminine curves (breasts/butt) -Ive always had shapely curves, but ive noticed my breasts have lost some fullness and my backside isnt nearly as round and curvacious as it was. It's like ive lost some of my most feminine shape since starting back on the birth control pill.


When researching these symptoms via Google, out of desperation, i read that some hormonal birth control pills can have a highly androgenic affect on the female body which can cause some nasty side effects, in particular the hair loss (in a similar form to Male Pattern Baldness) and greasy skin, blemishes etc. I then discovered Microgynon 30, that id been prescribed for the past 7 months or so, had one of the highest androgenic indexes out of all the contraceptive pills on the market.

I found another pill, called Yasmin, that had a very low (or no) androgenic affect and used a different type of Progestin, which is hyped as being a new generation pill specifically created to avoid many of the side effects of the other pills, in particular hair loss and weight gain, so i visited my GP, who switched my pill to Yasmin.

Ive now been taking Yasmin for 11 days, and ive already had a 3 day breakthrough bleed, and my moods are still up and down (mostly down).

I was wondering if anyone knew of any supplements that might alleviate some of the symptoms listed above, without hampering the affectivity of the contraceptive mechanism?

Ideally id like a stack to: level my moods and lift the depression/anxiety (so i dont feel like a hormonal wreck anymore!), increase my sex-drive significantly, halt my hairloss and encourage regrowth/thickening, and get as much of my womanly curves back as possible (ie encourage breasts and booty growth!) without adding excess fat anywhere else.

Does anyone have any suggestions at all please? Im scared to just blindly play trial-and-error myself, having no personal knowledge or real scientific understing re hormones, incase i exacerbate a symptom or cause more negative side effects.

Ive heard Maca, Aguaje, Fenugreek and various other herbs being used by women for some of these symptoms but im confused the complexity of the hormonal system and the effect drugs/supps/herbs etc have on it baffles me, so would greatly apreciate any suggestions re supplementation from someone who knows a little more than i!

Thanks so much guys n girls xxxx

Thanks guys. xxx

Edited by MsMetamorphose, 13 September 2012 - 11:15 PM.


#2 Clarity

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Posted 14 September 2012 - 04:00 AM

I was on Yasmin for an IVF cycle for all of 2 wks. I remember breakthrough bleeding, which I was told was normal. I believe there's a class action suit against them now?

I really have no knowledge of what the effects of supplements with hormonal like actions, have on the Pill, but I do know I had great success with chinese medicine for depression (particularly herbs) and there are much more minute doses that would not have a counteractive effect on bcp's.

You could try 5-htp which also works great for depression (if it's a serotonin problem). If you notice insomnia starting to crop up, then it's time to stop it for awhile.

Fo-Ti helped with my hair shedding, and it hasn't returned. I think it's a short term supplement as well (according to chinese medicine).

Maca is great for libido, but I've found there are times it's right for me, and times it is not. It works sometimes, and other times it causes anxiety symptoms. I'm not sure if it could counteract the Pill, since it has indirect hormonal effects. Fenugreek can increase estrogen & progesterone. Both of them could theoretically increase your risk for blood clots (especially in light of the class action suit for that particular reason) and I have no idea if it changes the effectiveness of the Pill.

Sorry I couldn't help more. Maybe someone else can. I figured I'd chime in, since most of the posters on here are guys.

~Wendy

Edited by Clarity, 14 September 2012 - 04:02 AM.


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#3 MsMetamorphose

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Posted 14 September 2012 - 02:45 PM

Thanks Wendy. I apreciate your input. It's a mindfield isnt it, dealing with hormones, especially as a woman! xxx

#4 Clarity

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Posted 15 September 2012 - 09:02 PM

No problem. Yes, it certainly isn't easy being a woman.

I also thought of something else - it's not uncommon to develop hypothyroidism on the Pill. I heard something to the effect that when you're on the pill you may require 25 mcg more thyroid hormone (I guess it can deplete it). Some of your symptoms can be attributed to low thyroid. Something to look into if you haven't already.

Feel better ; )

#5 MsMetamorphose

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Posted 15 September 2012 - 09:09 PM

Ooh, this actually makes a lot of sense. My thyroid has always been slightly underactive (but not low enough to for GPs to be willing to treat it on the NHS). Ive always struggled to keep weight off/put weight on easily, suffered constant lethargy no-matter how much sleep i get, and felt cold when everyone around me is just fine.

Could anyone suggest any supps that may increase my thyroid hormone, which can be stacked safely with the birth control pill and Sertraline (Zoloft)? xxx

Edited by MsMetamorphose, 15 September 2012 - 09:10 PM.


#6 Clarity

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Posted 15 September 2012 - 09:30 PM

I had researched the thyroid thing myself, because I've got many symptoms of hypo but it doesn't reflect in my bloodwork (I've also got an on & off nodule) and my son is also hypothyroid. I don't know about supplements, but I had read that alot of people are taking "Thyroid-S" instead of Armour because Armour became an inconsistent product dosing wise. They sell it on Amazon (Amazon to the rescue). It was mentioned in the book "Stop the Thyroid Madness". If you're willing to play around with something like that. I'm still on the fence. My endocrinologist would have a sh*t fit too. But it's only a matter of time before I do... You are slightly underactive - I'd have no bones about treating it and disregarding my dr. My son was subclinical and boy it was a pain to get them to treat it. They wouldn't until it was out of subclinical range. And he had some pretty blatant symptoms when it was sub.

Edited by Clarity, 15 September 2012 - 09:33 PM.


#7 1kgcoffee

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Posted 15 September 2012 - 09:34 PM

Shot in the dark, but maybe a choleretic herb such as dandelion root or artichoke leaf extract to speed up the breakdown of steroid hormones. Olive leaf will raise T3. No guarantee that it won't have interfere with your birth control. By the way, even though many women seem to tolerate it well, I think the side effects are a pretty good reason not to take hormonal BC

#8 missymoo72

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Posted 24 September 2012 - 12:27 AM

Hi - I'm by no means any type of expert! However - with my circle of girlfriends, not one of us uses the same contraceptive pill. For EG: I've used levlen for years, and not suffered any hiccups. However, 2 of my friends had horrible side effects from Levlen and changed to a different pill with success. I know one lady who bled too much on Microgynon and switched to Levlen and is much happier. SO - it could be that Microgynon isn't the type of contraceptive pill for you? I think Brenda 35 worked for a few of them too ... Best of luck!

QUESTION TO THE GIRLS: Anyone using trans-resveretrol while taking the contraceptive pill? I'd like to know if that supplement has caused anyone "trouble" with contraception? I just started using trans-resv, and have not been able to find a definitive answer online yet ... can anyone help me out? I'm a little anxious - and would prefer to hear from someone in the know, rather than by trial and error! *oops*

#9 missymoo72

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Posted 24 September 2012 - 12:40 AM

In retrospect - I apologize Ms metamorphose! It was rude of me to hijack your topic with a question of my own! I'd ask all to ignore my question and I'll post on Longecity out of the way!

#10 MrHappy

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 02:24 PM

PSA: Yas, yasmin can cause crystalised build-up/hardening in your liver and gall-bladder and shouldn't be prescribed by doctors anymore, as there is, as noted, a class-action lawsuit underway

This liver issue should be one of the first targets for recovery.

#11 Kevnzworld

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 06:06 PM

There is some evidence that the synthetic estrogen in contraceptives like Yazmin could be carcinogenic. I would take I3C, DIM ( cruciferous vegetable extract ) and genistein to mitigate those effects.

http://jn.nutrition....3/7/2470S.short

http://www.jnutbio.c...e/S0955-2863(05)00287-1/abstract

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#12 ViolettVol

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 02:18 AM

How about diane 35? hasn't it also been attributed with some of the symptoms caused by yasmin?





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: hormonal, pill, contraceptive, stack, mood, libido, hair loss, regimen, supplements, female

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